LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers are still planning to send Kenta Maeda to the Minnesota Twins, MLB.com said Sunday, after a reported three-team trade involving the Boston Red Sox fell apart.
The three-team blockbuster deal reported last week has been replaced by a pair of two-team trades, according to MLB.com sources, with the Dodgers sending right-hander Maeda, a minor leaguer and $10 million in cash to Minnesota.
In return, the Dodgers acquire the Twins’ top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol, a minor leaguer and the 67th pick in the 2020 draft.
The Red Sox are still sending 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts and 2012 AL Cy Young winner David Price to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong. Boston will also send cash to the Dodgers to offset Price’s salary, reportedly half of the $96 million still owed to the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner.
Graterol had originally been headed to Boston, but the Red Sox sought to change the agreement “after a review of Graterol’s medical records caused them to project the 21-year-old right-hander as a reliever instead of as a starter.”
Negotiations stalled as the Twins were asked for additional compensation and became less engaged in the deal.
The resulting renegotiation was resolved with the Red Sox and Dodgers conducting their own trade involving Betts and Price. The Twins and Dodgers technically now have a separate deal, the person said.
The trades, of course, are subject to medical reviews before finalization.
The clubs have yet to confirm the deals with spring training getting under way, sparking criticism and demand for a quick resolution from MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark.
“The proposed trades . . . need to be resolved without further delay,” Clark said in a statement Friday. “The events of this last week have unfairly put several players’ lives in a state of limbo.”
Maeda, who spent his first four major league seasons with the Dodgers after coming over from NPB’s Hiroshima Carp, will likely slide into the middle of Minnesota’s rotation. The right-hander has a 3.87 ERA with 641 strikeouts in 589 career innings, including some late-season and postseason stints in relief.
Maeda made 103 starts over the last four seasons for the Dodgers, but their deep rotation allowed them to put him in the bullpen occasionally. His desire has been to be a full-time starter.
The 31-year-old didn’t make his major league debut until age 27. His $25 million, eight-year contract was written with a number of incentives that could make it worth as much as $106.2 million. That’s because the Dodgers discovered “irregularities” in his elbow during his physical at the time.
Maeda’s deal entitles him to $6.5 million annually based on starts: $1 million each for 15 and 20, and $1.5 million apiece for 25, 30 and 32 starts. He can earn $3.5 million annually based on innings pitched: $250,000 for 90 and each additional 10 through 190, and $750,000 for 200. The deal includes a $1 million assignment bonus each time he is traded.
The 21-year-old Graterol, who can touch triple digits on the radar gun with his fastball, missed time last season for Double-A Pensacola with a shoulder injury. The right-hander recovered in time to make his major league debut with the Twins and pitch in the postseason. The Twins confirmed last month their intent was to focus on developing him as a reliever, rather than a starter.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times